Dr. Ezekiel S. Blair

Dr. E. S. Blair, M. D.

Source unknown

Dr. Blair a young medical graduate on his way
home from college was attracted to a man who boarded the train at
Ooltewah and recognizing him as a doctor soon engaged him in
conversation. After they had exchanged credentials with mutual interest
established, the young student asked for advice as to where and how a
medical beginner could find a location.Dr. Webb was on his way to Apison to
visit a patient and informed the young doctor that this little village
had no resident doctor and should be a good place to build a practice
and a great field of service. So thus was Dr. Blair introduced to
Apison in 1910.
As he alighted from the train that August afternoon, he was directed to
D. A. Stanfield's home where he remained for a short time before sending
for his wife, Ossie.

Dr. E. S. Blair

The Blairs began
their home life in Apison in two furnished
rooms rented from Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Wilson.After a few years, they purchased the old
Felker home. There over a period of years many patients found the
pathway to the doctor's office.

Dr. Blair was a
general practitioner of the old school. He visited his first patient
riding on a mule borrowed from Jack Sims. He later bought "Old Dan", as
he affectionately called his horse. Then he traveled by horse back and
by horse and buggy until automobiles replaced the horse and buggy. Cecil
Wilson, son of John and Myrtle Wilson, was the

first
baby the doctor delivered. Here, he had many other
experiences, Mrs. Blair was a very efficient helper.A. K. Poe, born in 1941, was probably the last baby delivered by
him.

The
Blairs proved their friendships through
years of service. Apison not only had a good
doctor family, but two good friends and staunch citizens. As he was
interested in politics and a member of the Board of Education, the
doctor's services were of great importance. He was a friend of our
schools and churches, and a leader in many community activities.

After leaving
Apison, the Blairs
located in Attalla, Alabama. Since Mrs. Blair's death, the doctor
resides in Birmingham, Alabama. We have no resident doctor since Dr.
Blair.

Doctors serving in
earlier years were: Bob James, Robert A. Wilson, Dr. Thomas, Bacon,
Riggins, from New York, Calhoun from Georgia and Dr. Bruce. Dr. 0. G.
Hughes, of Ooltewah, was family physician to many families here long
before and after Dr. Blair. Hughes was often called in for consultation
by him.

Committee Arranging
Apison Community Revival

A community
revival is being planned for Apison section
early in September, 1938 at which the Rev. J. Fred Johnson, pastor of
the First Cumberland Presbyterian Church, will be the speaker. The
committee arranging for the services, shown here, is made up of:

Copied from “JamesCounty,
a lost
County of Tennessee”,
Ó
1983 by OldJamesCounty
Chapter, East Tennessee
Historical Society.

“Dr. Robert Asbury
Wilson came to Apison in 1868 to begin his
medical practice. He was a native of the Eureka Community at Charleston,
Tennessee. He married Sue Basemore and had
three children, a son and two daughters; Myrtle Jones Hullender was an
adopted daughter. Dr. Wilson was a member of the Methodist Church,
Woodmen of the World, and the Masons. He also served as postmaster and
depot agent. Dr. Wilson retired about three years before his death on
January 2, 1911, at the age of sixty-four. He was buried in

Cleveland,
Tennessee.

“Dr. E. S. Blair
came to Apison with his wife,
Ossie, in August, 1910. As a young medical
graduate on his way home from college he engaged in conversation with a
Dr. Webb who had boarded the train at Ooltewah. Dr. Webb suggested that
since Apison had no resident doctor, the
little village should be a good place to begin medical practice. The
Blairs rented two furnished rooms from Mr.
and Mrs. Reuben Wilson and later purchased the old
Felker home. Dr. Blair visited his first patients riding on "Old
Dan," a mule borrowed from Jack Sims. The first baby the doctor
delivered was Cecil Wilson, oldest son of John and Myrtle Wilson.

“After leaving
Apison, the Blairs
moved to Attalla, Alabama. After Mrs. Blair's death, Dr. Blair moved to
Birmingham, Alabama.”

*******

From the desk of

Ruth W. Longley

4411 Bill Jones Road

Apison,
Tennessee 37302

October 4, 2005

This is all I can
find about Dr. Blair, but I know where he lived.My sister bought his house but she sold it and it has been
remodeled since, but still looks like the place.

Dr. E. S. Blair’s House
And Office InApison

Cecil Wilson was my
brother, born in 1910.John
and Myrtle Wilson were our parents.

Dr. Blair delivered
my son in 1940 when a big snow was on the ground.He also delivered me and one sister.He even pulled teeth for us.That is about all I know.

Ruth

*******

Dr. E. S. Blair

From: <MHKELLEY@aol.com>

To:
<henson3@chattanooga.net>

Subject: Re: Dr. E.S. Blair

Date: Thursday, March 03, 2005 11:48 AM

Thomas Blair and
Hanna Stone were the parents of Ezekiel Stone Blair, their oldest child.Hanna's father's name was Ezekiel Stone, hence the name of her
first child, EzekielStone Blair.
Hanna was the great grand niece of Thomas Stone, one of the signers of
the Declaration of Independence from Maryland.Thomas Blair came to this country from Scotland. (If you or
anyone else follow up on what I sent, you
will find some say Thomas that was married to Hannah was born in
Tennessee.The reason Isaid he was from Scotland
is that one of his grandsons, also a doctor, had inhis obituary that his grandfather Thomas Blair was from
Scotland.Also, the National Blair Society for Genealogical Research has
this same obituary in their records.) Ezekiel Stone Blair /m/Jane Henry,
both from what is now east Tenn.They came to Cherokee County, Alabama, in 1835.One of their children was John Spencer Blair, the father of Effie
Pearl Blair, my grandmother.Another of their sons was Thomas Blair.One of his sons was Dr. E. S. Blair.I have never known for sure what "E.S." stood for.I had
assumed it was Ezekiel Stone.This made Dr. Blair and my grand mother, Effie Pearl Blair Baker,
first cousins.Dr.Blair treated me when I had scarlet fever as a child. My mother
always referred to Dr. Blair as cousin E. S.He is buried at Forest Cemetery in Gadsden, Ala.When his wife died he also died even though his body was around
for several more years.
This was the time he was living with his nephew, Pace Smith, in East
Gadsden.Pace was the son
of Dr. Blair's sister, Hattie, and her first husband, Thomas Smith.Her second husband was Merion Sheppard,
they were the parents of Dr. John Sheppard, the one that delivered me
when I was born.

Best Wishes &
Kindest
Regards,Marvin HenryKelley

*******

A. Thomas Blair an émigré from Scotland

Wife: Hanna
Stone-Blair

Hanna’s father was
Ezekiel Stone a grand nephew of Thomas Stone a signer of the Declaration
of Independence from Maryland

Children of Thomas Blair

1. Ezekiel Stone Blair

Wife: Jane Henry

Moved to Cherokee County, Alabama in 1835

Children of Ezekiel
and Jane Blair

a.
John Spencer Blair

Children of John Spencer Blair

1. Effie Pearl Blair

Husband: __________ Baker

b. Thomas Blair

Children of Thomas Blair

1. Dr. E. S. Blair

No Children

2. Hattie Blair

1st Husband: Thomas Smith

2nd Husband: Merion Sheppard

Children of Hattie Blair

a. Pace Smith

Dr. E. S. Blair died at the home of Pace Smith in East
Gadsden, Alabama.
Buried Forest Cemetery, Gadsden

b: Dr. John Sheppard

*******

Dr. E. S. Blair M. D.

From Gadsden (Alabama) Times, May 29, 1957

(Items in parenthesis supplied by JWHenson)

Dr. E. S. Blair
Passes In City

Dr. E. S. Blair,
77, died yesterday (May 28, 1957) in a local nursing home.He had been in ill health several years.

A native of
Cherokee County (Alabama), he was the son of a Baptist Minister.A graduate of Jacksonville State College, he attended Alabama
Medical College, Mobile, and received his medical degree at the
Nashville, Tenn. Medical College.

Dr. Blair practiced
medicine in Apison, Tenn. for over 30 years
and opened practice in Gadsden during World War II.

His wife, Mrs.
Ossie Stephenson Blair, died several years
ago.

He is survived by
several nieces and Nephews.
Among them are Dr. John Sheppard, Miss Lola Smith, Pace Smith, all of
Gadsden, and Mrs. Albert Rains of Gadsden and Washington, D. C.

Funeral services
will be held Thursday at 1pm at Collier-Butler Funeral Home with the
Rev. Ivan Trusler officiating.Burial will be in Forest Cemetery.